It's 1950s Washington State. Fisherman Carl Heine's body is found. Japanese fisherman Kabuo Miyamoto is accused of the murder. Sheriff Art Moran (Richard Jenkins) and prosecutor Alvin Hooks (James Rebhorn) lead the prosecution. Nels Gudmundsson (Max von Sydow) is the defense lawyer. Judge Fielding (James Cromwell) presides over the court. Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke) is the only reporter in this small town. He's a returning vet with only one arm who still loves Kazuo's wife Hatsue from his childhood. In flashbacks, Ishmael and Hatsue struggle against war paranoia. Ishmael's father Arthur Chambers (Sam Shepard) is hounded for supporting the Japanese in his newspaper.

It's got the snowy romantic moody atmosphere. However it lives too much off of it. The murder mystery is given short shrift. While watching the movie, I kept wanting the case be presented in a coherent way. The romance, the operatic style, and the prejudice are important but they keep getting into the way of the trial and investigation. This needs a short section where Sheriff Moran explains the case against Kabuo in a neat tidy package.

This is one of those films that needs to be seen a second time to pick up on the subtleties of the plot. It is a feast for the eyes and features outstanding acting. It also has a sense of balance. It doesn't manipulate its viewer. The murder mystery isn't one that brings in forces that threaten the main character. The forces are prejudice and fear. The adversaries are not people carrying guns but rather the legal system that often overlooked the rights of people of another race or ethnic background. The internment camps are part of the backdrop. I know that people say this is slow, but so is the process these people faced.

I loved the intellectual character of the young man who has to look past his own feeling and try to bring closure to someone he will never be able to have. The transitions are so breathtaking. The winter scenes are a portrait of softness and violence. My wife had read the book upon which this is based and said that the movie might be interesting. Apparently, the producers were unwilling to go the extra mile to get this noticed. It's a gem and deserves to be on a list of very fine movies.

I'm usually in general agreement with IMDb viewers on most films, but with this one I have a major disconnect. The picture has a 6.8 rating as I write this, a far cry from the 10 I would give it for masterful story telling and exceptional cinematography. You just never can tell.

I realize that the non-linear format can be a turn off for many viewers, but unlike other movies I've seen utilizing the frequent use of flashbacks, I didn't find the technique to be distracting here. It was fully essential to develop the back story of Ishmael's (Ethan Hawke) unrequited love for Hatsue (Yuki Kudo),and the circumstances leading to the trial of Hatsue's husband for murder. Particularly relevant were the scenes pertinent to the Miyamoto family acquiring the berry farm and how they were basically swindled by Etta Heine (Celia Weston) and the legal system following the death of Mrs. Heine's husband. The roundup of Japanese families and their internment in prison camps following the outbreak of World War II was particularly painful to watch recreated on screen, alluding to an unfortunate era in the history of the country.

However the most agonizing theme that pervades the story is Ishmael's inability to come to terms with the loss of Hatsue. It invades every aspect of his thoughts and his very existence. Eventually this personal torment is eclipsed by the necessity to do the right thing for a fellow human being.

With a finale reminiscent of the closing scene in "To Kill a Mockingbird", the Miyamoto family stands in unison to proclaim their admiration for Ishmael after he does the right thing by bringing new evidence to the judge presiding over the trial. Just prior to that, Defense Attorney Gudmundsson (Max von Sydow) delivered a stunning summation to jolt Ishmael into recognition of what he must do for the sake of justice and equality. Later, in a quiet moment with Ishmael, the wizened attorney makes a poignant observation that's brilliantly insightful into the human condition - "Accident rules every corner of the universe, except maybe... the chambers of the human heart."